1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine for providing a game played by using a trading card storing character data concerning a character, the trading card, and a game system for providing the game played by using the trading card.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, trading cards have been those in which athletes, cartoon characters, and the like are depicted and collected by enthusiasts or maniacs. Trading cards with gaming properties to be used in competitive games have recently been provided. The trading cards with gaming properties are not only collected, but also can proceed with games according to various kinds of information described in the cards.
Most recently, gaming machines providing games played by using trading cards storing character data concerning characters appearing in the games have emerged and come into fashion widely.
An example of such a gaming machine is one in which character data stored in trading cards are written variously according to the state of proceeding with games (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 11-244537). There has also been known a gaming machine which reads character data from trading cards arranged on an arrangement panel of a terminal, and proceeds with games by using the character data (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-301264).
An example of game trading cards is one having a surface printed with character data such as the figure and capacity value of a character and a pocket formed from a transparent film (see, e.g., Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3068024).
When character data stored in a trading card is erased and then new data is written therein in the gaming machine disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 11-244537 or No. 2002-301264, however, the character data after rewriting cannot be seen independently of the gaming machine. In general, the attraction of trading cards includes showing and exchanging of trading cards between players who collected the cards. Therefore, trading cards from which values cannot be grasped independently of the gaming machine seem to act only as storage media (so-called memory cards) of character data. Hence, trading cards with gaming properties may disadvantageously lose the original joy of trading cards.
On the other hand, the trading card disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3068024 is one from which character data can be seen independently of gaming machines. However, the character data is stationary and does not change according to the proceeding with games. Therefore, this card may be poor in gaming properties and enjoyment.